Shoe last



Patented Mar. 26, 1946 2,3973.ossg

PATENT OFFICE" The pres-eat intrimaires-isses@te ass-neffiastiffand'noreparticularlyi te atwoLpeceA fexpans'ilile Another Object iof the invention iS tiplovid'ar two-piecelast'whichi'willb 'strong 'enpuglr-when extended tof withstarrdfthe abuse and fhighi pres'-- sure encountered in the several subsequent oper#- ations4 Tther-last must undergo before"tlie='flnished snoefi's-prodce'd Other obi'ectsfand advantagesfi of the-present l invention" will loe4 obvious as* brought 'v outl infthe following* specification? Reference" will be'- hadI toL the* accompanying' drawingforming* aj part f of this specicationffin which? similar `'reiereriee-` characters indioatecor# responding' parts Ytl'irougnmt thefseveral views; in

FigfBf isa bottom view'off'tli last witira broken" away portion viewed in thedirectipir ofthe-anims Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing thel last-in the" extended position stretching the upper;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of the cam mechanism positioned when the last is closed;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detailof the cam mechanism when the last is open;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the key for turning the cam; and s Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cam.

Referring to the drawing, wherein I have shown, by way of illustration merely, a two-piece shoe last comprising a heel portion I and a toe or fore portion II, separated at I2, to form two at surfaces I3 and I4.

Secured to the surfaces I3 and I4 are a pair of plates I and I6 resting in recesses Il and I8. The plates I5 and I6 are provided with semiannular grooves I9 and 20 to accommodate the cylindrical cam 2I as best shown in Fig. 6.

The cylindrical cam is provided with a pair of integral fins 23 and 24 diametrically opposed on each side of the cylinder, and adapted to ride in the grooves I9 and 20 for separating the twopiece last as hereinafter explained.

Tlefrlfieelf portionj-I iaifidtlie teor frportion II faiifnorrnallyheld ltog'etheii byfdowel pins-"25" which are fixed tightly in the recesses 26 of the-- toe portion I I lout are free to move in the recesses tflallvw'- forf the' separating? movement ofi the heelfYandf-toeportin' v Since-"there is considerable pressurefon tlietoe and-*heel portions fin'the direction of-y the' "arrows conveyor; thel metal strapsfi) aiid'l are'enil' bddedfin-tfle side of the'laSt''so--that the-part of tlielast 'indicatedat' l''ac'zts' as 'a support 'forl the-"straps-and prevents any rotationall movement ofthe toeportio'ri irl-respect to theheel portion.

Itisfwell to 'mention lhere that lasts having'only dowel pins-Tor'supportA are absolutely useless when' subjectedl 'topressure during the' operations 4irri"- posed upon them, and frequently break'linfhalf Ori 'the to'17j-surfenfrof` the last 'there provided aso'ck'et 3I-'finfthefheel-portion and `socket' 66 in thetee Aportieri. Thesocket 3|vl -iswused for ap# plyinig-fthe'liastftoa piniorsomefofjtlie-subsequent operatiinsiandthesocket 6&*is used`f6r assisting' 30y the:remova'llfofi-thelast from the *linished shoe;

Afcil" `s1;irir`1g"\'35isvv mounted in 'a recess f 36 and 3l inthe heel portion I0 andtoeportionf'l I,v and secured'fto) yeach' portion vrespectively by screws 38 and 39. The coil spring 35 is at rest when the last is closed and assists in closing the last when 40 closing the last.

In using the last for manufacturing shoes, the upper 50 is placed over the last when the last is closed or retracted as shown in Fig. 4, and since the last in its closed position is much smaller than the shoe size to be produced when the last is extended, the operator can very easily nail the toe portion of the upper to the bottom of the last at substantially four places as shown in Fig. 3.

After the upper is nailed to the last the operator places the key 4I over the extension 40 of the cam 2| and turns the key one-quarter of a turn in either direction to extend or separate the last as shown in Figs. 5 and '7.

When the upper is stretched the edge 5I completely hugs the contour of the last, and after the Y without departing last is separated the several subsequent opera-` tions are performedy to produce the finished shoe while the last is in the extended position. Consequently, when the shoe' is nished the part '511 of theupper 50 will fit snugly around the foot of the wearer.

It will be understood that the present invention h'as been made primarily to manufacture pumps so that When the shoe is nished the sides of the pumps will ,fit snugly againstv the foot of the wearer. f 'Y I Y.

It hasV been found that with the present method an expansible two-piece last having a heel portion, a toe or fore portion, both of which separate on a vertical line at right angles'to the longitu- Y dinal axis of the last thereby forming two abutting surfaces, valongitudinal plate secured in recesses in each abutting surface and having semiannular grooves therein running the entire length of said plates, a cylindrical cam having diametrically opposed ns thereon and adapted to rotate of making pumps, whereby an ordinary last was used, it was necessary to subject the upper to a i conventional stretching machine.

The present invention stretches the upper and eliminates'the use of a stretching machine; hutl v since the last is in two pieces, there `i's"danger' of breakage, and the novel features of the present invention overcome this diiiculty.,

Many other uses may be had from this Vlast tion.

I claim: f c

1. A device of the kind described comprising, a last having a heel portion, a fore or toe portion separating on a vertical line at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofthe last to form two abutting surfaces, a plate secured to each-abutting surface having semi-annular grooves therein, a cylindrical cam having diametrically opposed finsV thereon adaptedto ride within the aforesaid semi-annular grooves in said plates to separate said heel and toe portion of said last,rmeans comprising said annular grooves for accommodating a. `portionof said cylindrical camfwhen said Ylast is closeda square extension on said cam adapted to receive a key for rotating said cam, spring means for assisting the closing of said last, dowel pins for guiding said last longitudinally, and metal straps mounted on each side of said last adjacent the top thereof to prevent any rotational movement of said heel portion relative to Y said toe portion. Y Y l 2. A two-piece expansible last comprising a heel portion, atoe orV fore portion, means-comprising a cylindrical cam for extending said last, a spring for retracting said last, dowel pins for guiding saidy heel portion and said toe or fore portion longitudinally, and Ameans comprising metalv straps for vpreventing any rotational movement of one portion to the other.

3. A device of the kind described comprising,

from the spirit of the invenwithin'saidsemi-annular grooves insaid plates to separate said h'eelportion from said toe or fore portion of said last, means comprising said annular grooves for accommodating a portion of said cylindrical cam When said last is closed, a

` square extension on said cam adapted to be ro- ,V tated by a key for opening andclosing said last,

" spring means for assisting the closing of said last embedded 'andrsecured in recesses in the toe and heel portion thereof, a pair of doWel pins embedded in recesses of the heel and toe portion of said last with one end xed and the other end free to move for guiding said heel and toe portion longitudinally thereof, a cylindrical socket in said heel portion adjacent the top thereof, a second v socket in the toe or fore portion adjacent the top i line substantiallyvertical to the longitudinal axis of said last, Vcam means mounted between the dividing line of each portion for separating ysaid last, spring meansfor assisting the closing of said last, dowel pins for guiding said portions longitudinally, and metallic straps for preventing any rotational movement of the heel portion relative to said toe or fore portion.

5. A two-piece expansible last comprisingfa heel portion, a toe portion, means for opening g and closing said last, means for guiding said last,Y and means comprising Y metallic straps permanently fixed to one portion of said last and movably xed to the other portion of said last for preventing any rotational movement of one portion of said lastrelative to the other portion of said last. y

' FELIX DE VITO. 

